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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta http-equiv="imagetoolbar" content="no" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"/> <meta name="description" content="" /> <meta name="keywords" content="" /> <title>ADB Endowment Fund - Australian Dictionary of Biography</title> <script async src="https://ssl.google-analytics.com/ga.js"></script> <script> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-21252809-2']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); </script> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-RC1X4D063Z"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-RC1X4D063Z'); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/multi.php;reset.css,fixes.css,site/adb/generic.css,structure-common.css,site/adb/structure-site.css,infinite.css;138865bae9ffaad32e1391336f626769"/> <script type="text/javascript"> var settings = {"site_code":"adb","sites":{"adb":"adb.anu.edu.au","ia":"ia.anu.edu.au","la":"labouraustralia.anu.edu.au","oa":"oa.anu.edu.au","pa":"peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au","pib":"pib.anu.edu.au","wa":"womenaustralia.anu.edu.au"}}; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/multi.php;jquery.min.js,jqueryui/jquery-ui.custom.min.js,clearFocus.js,searchBox.js,facets.js,common-utils.js,advanced-search.js;c932ed6e749b7e793f3d0333c57a9a83"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/site/adb/print.css" type="text/css" media="print"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/site/adb/favicon.ico"/> <style> .navi:hover { border-bottom: 0px; } </style> </head> <body class="site_adb"><script type="text/javascript">document.body.className += " js";</script> <header> <div id="masthead"> <div class="clearFix" id="topNav"> <ul> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au">Obituaries Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au">People Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://ia.anu.edu.au">Indigenous Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://womenaustralia.anu.edu.au">Women Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://labouraustralia.anu.edu.au">Labour Australia</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="tileAndSearchContainer"> <div class="clearFix" id="titleAndSearchPage"> <h1 class="hideFromScreen">Australian Dictionary of Biography</h1> <ul id="searchSubmitPage"> <li> <form action="/biographies/search/" method="get" id="mastheadSearchForm"> <select id="scopeSelect" name="scope" onChange="searchBox.setTip();"> <option value="person">person</option> <option value="all" selected="selected">text</option> </select> <input name="query" type="text" class="searchTextInput clearMeFocus" title="Quick search" value="" /> <input name="" type="image" class="searchBttns" src="/images/site/adb/bttn_search.png" alt="Search" /> <input name="rs" type="hidden" value=''/> </form> </li> <li id="personTip" class="searchTip"> <span><strong>Tip:</strong> searches only the name field</span> </li> <li id="allTip" class="searchTip"> <span><strong>Tip:</strong> Use double quotes to search for a phrase</span></li> </ul>  </div> <nav class="main-navigation"> <ul class="navigation-menu"> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/">Home</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/about-us/">About</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/contact-us/">Contact</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--content"> <a class="menu-link" href="/projects/">Projects</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--content"> <a class="menu-link" href="/essays/browse/">Group Bios</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search"> <a class="menu-link" href="/advanced-search/">Advanced Search</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search"> <a class="menu-link" href="/facets/">Faceted Browse</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search" id="browseTab"> <a class="menu-link" href="#browsePanel">Browse</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--current"> <a class="menu-link" href="/adb-endowment-fund/">Donate</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="panel js-hide" id="browsePanel"> <div class="panelInner clearFix"> <div class="column0203 noh3float"> <div class="browseLabelWrapper"> <h3 class="browseLabel">Browse by:</h3> </div> <div class="browseOptionWrapper"> <ul class="panelInnerNav clearFix"> <li><a href="/biographies/name/">Name</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/birth/">Date of Birth</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/death/">Date of Death</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/browse-author/">Author</a></li> <li><a href="/entities/browse/?otype=map">Maps</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="culturalWarning" data-nosnippet="true"> <h2 class="culturalWarning__heading"><span class="culturalWarning__heading--decoration">Cultural Advice</span></h2> <div class="culturalWarning__message"> <p>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website contains names, images, and voices of deceased persons.</p> <p>In addition, some articles contain terms or views that were acceptable within mainstream Australian culture in the period in which they were written, but may no longer be considered appropriate.</p> <p>These articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Australian National University.</p> <p>Older articles are being reviewed with a view to bringing them into line with contemporary values but the original text will remain available for historical context.</p> </div> <div class="culturalWarning__control"> <button id="culturalWarningHide" class="culturalWarning__button">Hide message</button> </div> </div> </header> <div id="pageContentContainer"> <div class="clearFix" id="pageContent"> <h2>ADB Endowment Fund</h2> <p>The <em>Australian Dictionary of Biography </em>is Australia’s pre-eminent dictionary of national biography. Based at the Australian National University, since its foundation in 1959 it has published 20 volumes, comprising over 13,000 concise, scholarly biographies of prominent and representative Australians. In 2006 the <em>ADB</em> became available online free-of-charge.</p> <p>You can help us launch into our next half-century by making a donation to the ADB Endowment Fund so that we can begin to revise the earliest volumes, add ‘missing persons’ entries, and add exciting new features to the online site such as enhanced indexing between entries, thematic essays, digitised biographical sources, maps, images and visualisations.</p> <p>You can either <a href="https://engage.anu.edu.au/giving/give-now?id=c1be2d0a-42a4-4462-baf6-1cea2f49d969"><strong>donate directly </strong></a>to the ADB Endowment Fund, send us a cheque, or remember us in a bequest in your will.</p> <p>Cheques should be made payable to <strong>ADB/ANU </strong>and sent to:<br />Australian Dictionary of Biography<br />RSSS Building (#146)<br />Ellery Crescent<br />Australian National University<br />Canberra ACT 2600</p> <p>All donations over $2 are tax deductible.</p> <p>Please <strong><a href="mailto:ncb@anu.edu.au">contact us </a></strong>for further information about how, together, we can make the <em>ADB</em> the world's leading, online national biographical dictionary.</p> <p style="text-align:center;">* * * * * * * * *</p> <h2 style="text-align:center;">What distinguished Australians are saying about the ADB</h2> <p>“<em>The Australian Dictionary of Biography</em> captures the life and times and culture of this country in an absolutely distinctive and irreplaceable way. It is the indispensable record of who we are, and of the characters who have made us what we are. I could not be prouder of the ANU’s continuing role as custodian of this crucial part of our national legacy.”<br /><strong>Professor the Hon Gareth Evans AC QC<br /><strong>Chancellor, Australian National University</strong></strong><br /> </p> <p>“A mature nation needs a literary pantheon of inspiring and instructive life histories, a gallery of all the possibilities of being Australian. <em>The Australian Dictionary of Biography</em> responds to that vital need in our culture. It is a stunning collaborative achievement and I feel so proud that we have such an activity here in Australia – to a great extent it describes and defines Australia.”<br /><strong>Professor Fiona Stanley AC<br /><strong>Australian of the Year, 2003</strong></strong><br /> </p> <p>“<em>The Australian Dictionary of Biography</em> is one of the Australian National University's enduring achievements and an internationally admired feat of co-operative scholarship. During half a century it has provided a fine example of collaboration between academic historians and thousands of contributors throughout Australia who have given their services voluntarily.”<br /><strong>Professor Geoffrey Bolton AO</strong><br /><br /><em>“The Australian Dictionary of Biography </em>and its sponsor the Australian National University are to be warmly congratulated for the ongoing production of the <em>Dictionary</em>, the nation’s premier work in the field of historical biography. <em>The Australian Dictionary of Biography</em> is without doubt a national treasure: a rich resource, a great read, a triumph of research and scholarship.”<br /><strong>Professor Emerita Jill Roe AO</strong><br /> </p> <p><em>“The Australian Dictionary of Biography</em> is our greatest collective research project in the humanities and a national triumph. We have much to learn from it. The project is continuing to change as we mature nationally, with deeper understanding about the impacts of gender, race, environment, religion, education, language, culture, politics, region and war on what we are and what we may become.” <br /><strong>The Hon Dr Barry Jones AO</strong><br /> </p> <p>“Australia is very fortunate to have a national biographical dictionary that is democratic as well as distinguished, one that represents the rich variety of Australian culture. <em>The Australian Dictionary of Biography</em> gathers together the stories of people from all walks of life, from the outback to the city and from the bush to the parliament. It is a monument of scholarship – and it is for everyone.” <br /><strong>Dr Dawn Casey PSM</strong><br /> </p> <p>“Few things are more illuminating than taking a random stroll through a volume of <em>The Australian Dictionary of Biography</em> – new insights into our greatest men and women, chance encounters with people whose exploits are all too often unpardonably overlooked. I first read the <em>ADB</em> with my mother Coral Lansbury who wrote four entries. One of her mentors, Bede Nairn, was a prodigious contributor. The Australian story is a story of Australians, no better told than in the <em>ADB</em>.”<br /><strong>The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP</strong><br /> </p> <p>“I find it difficult to bring to mind more than a handful of comparable enterprises in the fields of biography, history, philology or the social sciences more broadly – anywhere in the world. The status and appeal of the <em>Australian Dictionary of Biography</em> do not lie only in its scale and size. They reside also in the meticulous research, the erudition and scholarship, and the sweat and possibly tears involved in the editorial and publishing process. Its constituent <em>dramatis personae</em> are an eclectic mix of the noble and the notorious, the famous and the largely unsung. The underlying theme of the mosaic is quite clear: nothing less than the making and re-making of Australia.” <br /><strong>Her Excellency Ms Penelope Wensley AC<br /><strong>Governor of Queensland</strong></strong></p> <p> </p> </div> </div> <footer> <div class="clearFix" id="footer"> <h3>Australian Dictionary of Biography</h3> <p>An initiative of the <a href="https://history.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/ncb">National Centre of Biography</a> at the <a href="https://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a></p> <div class="clearFix"> <p class="floatLeft">© Copyright Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2006-2025</p> <p class="floatLeft cdp"><a href="/copyright/">Copyright</a> · <a href="/disclaimer/">Disclaimer</a> · <a href="/privacy/">Privacy Policy</a> · <a href="/contact-us/">Contact Us</a></p> </div> </div> </footer> </body> </html>